(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a process for managing objects, in particular software modules, in a communication network which may be of the home-automation type. It also relates to devices able to be linked to such a network and comprising means for implementing the process.
The invention applies in particular in a home network adapted to the interconnecting of audio and video devices.
(2) Related Art
In a network of mass-market electronic devices such as televisions, cable or satellite decoders or video recorders, it is necessary to provide means of communication between the devices, whilst taking account of the complexity and price constraints inherent in mass-produced devices.
Depending upon the type of network envisaged, it may be necessary for a device (also referred to as a node in what follows) of the network to ascertain the access path or the address of another device. This is also the case if the concept of device is replaced with the concept of object, or of software module, it being possible for a device to contain a large number of objects. This may relate to downloaded or resident applications, particular user interfaces or lower level modules. Each object or module of a device may seek to communicate with another object or module of the same device or of another device of the network. Each object is regarded as a resource available to other objects.
In this case, the problem arises of obtaining one or the dynamic list of resources available in the network.